PASSERES — LANIIDjE — LANIUS. 127 



FAMILY LANIIDJE. 



Bill robust, convex above, much compressed at the sides, abruptly bent and deeply notched. 

 Claws much curved and very acute. Plumage soft and blended. Carnivorous or insecti- 

 vorous. 



GENUS LANIUS. Linnaeus. Bonaparte. 



Bill straight from its origin, with advancing bristles at its base. Upper mandible rounded 

 above, notched, hooked and acute at the tip ; the lower likewise notched, and also toothed 

 at the tip. Nostrils basal, lateral, oval, half closed by a membrane. Tarsus rather short, 

 compressed, slender, with eight scutellae ; shorter than, the middle toe. First quill very 

 short ; third and fourth longest. 



THE NORTHERN BUTCHER-BIRD. 



Lanius septentrionalis. 



PLATE XXXVII. FIG. 61 (Mali). 

 (STATE COLLECTION.) 



Lanius septentrionalis, Gmelin. L. borealis, Vieillot, Vol.], p. 80, pi. 50. 



L. excubitor. Wilson, Am. Om. Vol. 1, p. 74, pi. 5, fig. 1 (male). 



L. borealis. Bonaparte, Obs. No. 33. 



L. septentrionalis. Id. Ann. Lye. N. V. Vol. 2, p. 72. v 



L. excubitor. Acdubon, folio, pi. 192. 



L. semptentrionalis. Nt/ttall, Man. Orn. Vol. 1, p. 258, figure. 



L. borealis. Richardson, F. B. A. Vol. 2, p. Ill, pi. 33 (female). Audubon, B. of A. Vol. 4, p. 130, pi. 236 



(male, female and young). 

 Nine-killer. Heckewelder, Am. Phil. Soc. Vol. 4, p. 124. Peabodt, Birds of Mass. p. 291. ( 

 L. borealis. Giraud, Birds of Long Island, p. 155. 



Characteristics. Light slate ; beneath white, undulated with pale brown. Wings, tail, 

 and eye-stripe black. Outer tail-feathers entirely white. Female, with 

 the eye-stripe obscure. Young, greyish drab : four of the middle tail- 

 feathers wholly black. Length, 10 inches. 



Description. Bill compressed, with a stout abrupt tooth on the upper mandible, with 

 strong bristles at the corners of the mouth, and the oval nostrils are concealed by bristly hairs. 

 Wings moderate : fourth quill longest ; the third slightly shorter ; the first half the length of 

 the second. Tail wedge-shaped, an inch and a half longer than the tips of the wings. 



Color. Light ash-grey above, with a slight tinge of bluish. Bill bluish at the base, darker 



